When You Look in a Mirror What Do You See?

Pentecost 23 (C)
Luke 18:9-14
[Jesus] also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.” But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.’

Sermon
When you look in a mirror, what do you see?

When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

Surely, you have mirrors in your life. In your car, you have a rearview mirror right above your eyes. You have one to the right and one to the left. Some of you carry mirrors on you in your purse. They are at your home and in your office.

So when you look in a mirror, what do you see?

That’s the question Jesus presents to us today in the parable from Luke 18. He tells the people about two individuals who go to the house of God and they have completely different ways of seeing themselves.

For the Pharisee, he never saw a mirror that he didn’t like. Mirrors were his best friend. Everywhere he looked he saw himself reflected in the world, he felt good what he saw. As he walked down the streets of the town, people would address him with respect and honor. They would smile at him and appreciate him. At a dinner party, the Pharisee would be given a seat of honor. Yes, when the Pharisee saw his reflection in the community, he saw the right stuff. He even looked the part, with special distinctive clothing.

And when he went to the house of God, he knew that surely God must see the same thing.
That’s why when he goes to the house of God, he stands front and center. He stands there in a prominent place in full view of God and the congregation. And when he speaks to God he says “I want to thank you God that I am not like other people . . . like rogues, thieves, adulterers, and this tax collector.” Then he proceeds to tell God what separates him from the rest, how he fasts twice a week, how he tithes, how wonderful he is.

Yes, when the Pharisee looked in a mirror he like what he saw.

When you look in a mirror, what do you see?

If you were to ask the tax collector that question, he would tell you that he didn’t like what he saw. Not one bit. Mirrors were not his friend. He knew there was something not right about his life. Every where he looked in his world he would be reminded about his defectiveness. Walking down the streets of the town he could see on their faces. Disgust, contempt. He was a tax collector. A sell out. He sold out his own race, his own people, collecting taxes for the foreign invaders the Romans. He sold out his religion. In fact, people often referred to tax collectors in the same breath as prostitutes and thieves. They were the bottom of the barrel. And they knew it. Every face they looked into reflected the same scorn.

And it didn’t stop there. When the tax collector went to the house of God, he knew what he was. He knew what he brought. That’s why when he went to the temple, he didn’t stand front and center. He didn’t stand strut up front like a peacock. Not this man. This man stands off to the side, out of sight of others, his face to the floor. He couldn’t bring himself to look up and presume to look straight at God. He knew where he had been. He knew what he had done.

When you look at yourself in the mirror what do you see?

Now I do understand that may be times when you and I feel pretty good about ourselves. I do understand that there may be times when we feel that we have this Christianity thing figured out, that we have it nailed down, that we have all the right stuff. And if that is the case for you today then you come on down here and take your stand next to the Pharisee this morning. Come on down and strut your stuff. Let the world see how you are not like other people.

No?

But, if, when you look in the mirror you see something that you don’t like. If you see something that sticks in your conscience, it you see something dark and embarrassing, then you bring it to the Lord. You are in God’s house now. If when you look in the mirror you see something that causes some guilt or shame, then you take your place here next to the tax collector, and give it to the Lord.

And then you look up, look up into the face of God, look into the eyes of your heavenly Father and you tell me if you don’t see a forgiven sinner. Because all who come to the house of the Lord and seek his mercy find it.